Unanswered Calls
by Okori Yo
Summary: All Green wants is a conversation with Red.


Unanswered Calls

_'This is Red. Leave a message and I'll get back to you.'_

Green ended the call, staring down the Pokegear on his wrist. It had taken several large bribes and a near-threat to get the other trainer to make that brief message, but it had been worth it. He knew it was pointless to call, since Red never returned any of them, but he just had to hear his friend's voice again. It had been far too long.

Lifting his head, the Gym Leader stared up at the peak of Mount Silver, knowing that his childhood friend was up on the snow-bound slopes somewhere. He didn't know why, but Red had chosen to seclude himself on the mountain. "Idiot…I want to see you again…" he mumbled to the silent peak, glaring at it in a sudden flash of anger. It was true - Green missed him dearly, but he instinctively knew that trying to find Red wouldn't end well.

Dropping his gaze with a frustrated sigh, Green idly rubbed a finger along the edge of his Pokegear, then pressed the 'call' button again. Everything was all mixed up, he thought sadly as the number was dialled.

_'This is Red. Leave a message and I'll get back to you.'_

Red should be the one manning the Viridian Gym, not himself. His childhood friend deserved that glory and praise that came with defeating Team Rocket, not a self-imposed exile.

Green shivered as the chill mountain wind hit him, leaning forwards towards the crackling fire. Some might call him stupid to come this far up Mount Silver, but he had trained in this area before and knew the risks. Besides, any chance to see Red again was worth the cold, worth being stuck in a sudden blizzard even. The crunch of gravel made him turn, but it was only Arcanine returning from a patrol. "Anything?" he asked quietly.

The majestic Pokemon shook his head and settled down on the opposite side of the fire, staring at the flames. The young man gritted his teeth and tilted his head back to stare at the distant stars. Each month, supplies were left in this area for anyone training on the mountain, and Green had insisted on delivering them this time. Stifling a yawn, the Gym Leader paced for a few minutes to get his blood pumping, then returned to his spot next to the boxes of supplies. Red would have to come down sometime, because even he needed food. And when he did, Green would be ready and waiting.

"Urgh…huh? Whaisit?" he murmured sleepily as something cold and wet nudged him. Wait, what was his doing? He shouldn't be asleep! "Red!" he exclaimed, snapping to full awareness then squinted from the bright sun shining in his eyes. It was morning already? What was going on?

Arcanine was sitting in front of him, looking sleepy as well as slightly cross. "Red…?" Green murmured, scrambling to his feet and looking around. But aside from the embers of the previous night's fire and his own pack, the area around him was empty. It was then he realized the boxes of supplies he had been guarding were empty.

"What the hell?" he snapped furiously, then turned to his Pokemon and demanded, "Did you fall asleep too?" Both of them had planned on staying awake all night until Red appeared. How had they managed to fall asleep?

Arcanine gave a low growl of affirmative, then nudged his jacket. Green stared at his Pokemon, trying to decipher what his Pokemon was trying to say. Another nudge, harder this time, and the young man realized that there was something sticking to his clothes. A faint white powder…sniffing it cautiously, Green recognized the smell and groaned. "Sleep Powder. He used Sleep Powder on us…"

For any unaware trainer or Pokemon, even a light dusting of the spores could send them off into dreamland. They hadn't stood a chance. Cheeks burning with shame, Green sat on the ground and pounded a fist into his palm. "Damn it! You idiot…You idiot…" he snarled, feeling the emptiness gnaw at his stomach as his previous hope faded. All he had wanted was to talk to Red again, and his friend hadn't even allowed that!

Jerking back the sleeve of his jacket to expose his Pokegear, Green stared bitterly at the screen, sorely tempted to call Red and leave a strongly-worded message regarding what had taken place. But he would just feel guilty about it later, so the young man dropped his wrist without doing anything. Realizing that there was no point in staying any longer - Red had been the only person receiving supplies this month - the Gym Leader slowly moved to pack up the boxes for transport back down the mountain.

"Hm?" Something was jammed into between two boards of the top-most crate, something that hadn't been there the night before. Tugging it out gently, he saw it was a folded scrap of paper. Hope blossomed in his chest as he stared at it, and he realized his hands were shaking slightly. Taking a deep breath, Green carefully unfolded the note and smiled as he read the two words scrawled there.

_Thanks - Red_


End file.
